Relationship between white blood cell count and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in an adult population

Objective To investigate the relationship between white blood cell count (WBC) and the prevalence of simple fatty liver disease (SFL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Methods We designed a large scale cross-sectional study in an adult population. Participants were selected from Tianjin Medical University's General Hospital-Health Management Centre. The diagnoses of simple fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis were based on liver ultrasonography and serum alanine aminotransferase concentration. A total of 37 507 subjects (8 644 SFL and 2 557 NASH) were included in this study. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess whether the quartiles of WBC were associated with the prevalence of simple fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Results After adjusting for potential confounders, the odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of simple fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis for increasing quartiles of WBC were: simple fatty liver disease, 1.00 (reference), 1.37 (1.24, 1.50), 1.70 (1.55, 1.86) and 2.09 (1.90, 2.29) (P for trend<0.000 1); nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, 1.00 (reference), 1.39 (1.16, 1.66), 1.69 (1.43, 1.99) and 2.13 (1.81, 2.50) (P for trend<0.000 1). Conclusions This study proves the correlation between WBC and the prevalence of simple fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Further study is needed to clarify whether WBC has a predictive value for the occurrence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Key words: Leukocytes; Inflammation; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease